


With the Tides

by shyfoxes



Series: And Family Means... [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Planet, Alien Whale Shark, Alien beaches, Allura - Freeform, Childhood Friends, Coran - Freeform, Depression, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gen, Homesick Hunk (Voltron), Homesickness, Hunk has two moms, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pidge - Freeform, Shiro - Freeform, Team as Family, hunk background story, keith - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 01:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13225194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyfoxes/pseuds/shyfoxes
Summary: For Hunk, it didn’t start out obvious and strong as it had for Lance, nor could he drown it out as easily as Pidge or Shiro because of their goals, or even Keith with his constant need for movement. Rather, Hunk would find himself missing home and his mothers in the tiniest ways, at the worst times.Or, Lance and Hunk finally visit a beach, and Lance and a new unexpected friend help Hunk with his homesickness.





	With the Tides

 

It had been a long time since Hunk had seen a beach. There were times he would go to bed after a long mission, exhausted to the bone, and wondering if maybe he wouldn’t dream that night. But then he would.

Sometimes it became too real, so much so that Hunk had woken up in his dreams and had gone about a typical day without realizing he wasn’t floating around space in a giant Castle-ship light years from home. He’d wanted to see his mothers greeting him for breakfast. Or at the beach, each taking his hand as they ran straight into the curve of a wave, and laughing as they were knocked back, hair sticking to their skins. The feel of fish swimming by his ankles, of his mothers holding hands at sunset, and the loud, excited voices of Lance ’ s family gathered around a pit for barbeque were the details that had Hunk believe he was back on Earth.

It wasn’t only Lance that dreamed of the smell of salt and sea as well as the swelling of warmth that made him know he was home. Sometimes Hunk felt the ache deep inside of him, unbidden and depthless. It was like an urge he could not fulfill. No matter what Hunk threw himself into—taking apart and putting back together Altean technology, detailing the ways he could upgrade Yellow to both of their likes, or even just cooking—he could not quench it.

 

For Hunk, it didn’t start out obvious and strong as it had for Lance, nor could he drown it out as easily as Pidge or Shiro because of their goals, or even Keith and his constant need for movement. Rather, Hunk would find himself missing home and his mothers in the tiniest ways, at the worst times

Here and now though, standing on the strange beach of this alien planet, abandoned as of 1000 years ago as Coran had said, Hunk could almost let himself be tricked into thinking he was home.

The sand was pink, nothing at all like the pink beaches of earth. It was an almost a glowing type of light pink, the sand surprisingly soft and cool under their feet. Overhead, they could just about feel the heat of that solar system’s sun, almost muted amongst the clouds where the planet’s moon stood proud.

The water was green, soft and cool, and stretching far enough that it might have even touched the strange moon dipped in the distance.

Of all the alien worlds, Hunk thought that maybe this would have be his favorite. (No offense to any Balmeras). He dug his toes into the sand, the ping of a memory and feeling touching the back of his neck.

The breeze, the strangely sweet-smell of ocean water, and Lance whooping right beside him didn't give Hunk as much relief as he thought it would. Hunk frowned.

Back on the beach, Allura and Pidge had nestled closer together, gathering pink sand up between their fingers to build a sand Castle-ship. Shiro had taken exactly three paces, dropped his towel, then himself, and went to sleep. Keith had stayed farther up on Red’s paw near the encroachment of the jungle, muttering unhappily about hating sand, but otherwise looking content at the peacefulness of the beach. Coran stroked his mustache, looking pleased with himself.

It had taken the barest word from Coran—to have fun but not wade out too far—before he and Lance were running down the beach, wrestling out of their clothes, and reaching out to feel the water.

  
  


Lance had only just barely made it into the water before Hunk barrelled right into him, pushing his friend out farther and tumbling in right after him.

Lance reached a hand back, waving it wildly until Hunk caught it in his own hand. He squeezed it tight. Then they both walked forward together into the ocean, watching as bioluminescent fish ignited under the shifting water, flitting around their legs in dizzying patterns.

Hunk stuck his hand in the water, the alien fish approaching his hand in curiosity, circling and suckling at the pads of his fingers.

“Hey, Lance get a load of this!” Hunk exclaimed, giggling afterwards. “They’re kinda cute.”

Lance snorted. “That’s what you said inside the Weblum, and look what that nearly got you? Keith told me.” He stuck his hand into the water anyway.

When Hunk looked down at their feet, distorted and shifting, he blinked away the image of the shell bracelet Lance used to wear around his ankle as a child, a gift from his sister before it broke; and the fake aquaman tattoo that had been on the top of his foot that day.

Hunk didn’t get to think about it too much until Lance was pulling him deeper into the water. They walked and walked until they were forced to float, inches above the bottom, hair plastered to their faces. Hunk shoved Lance, laughing when his friend squawked, then sunk his arms down to part the waters in a swim. He kicked water in Lance’s face just to hear him whine, and felt Lance’s long, skinny arms tug at the back of his swim trunks just to be annoying.

In the distance, a large wave was approaching, roiling across the water. A cluster of bioluminescent fish swept with it, trapped in the torrent and spinning like orbiting galaxies.

Lance hung a finger over his nose as he furrowed his brows playfully. “Brace for impact!” he warned.

“Incoming!” They yelled, holding their arms up like their Paladin shields and screwing their eyes shut as the wave tumbled over them.

The force of the wave had been stronger than Hunk had expected. For a brief moment, he felt his head zing, both him and Lance flew around under the water as the wave nestled back into the ocean’s body once again. Hunk swirled, barely able to see Lance’s thin form spinning near him, looking as if they’d been caught in a washing machine. 

At some point, their bodies collided; Lances skinny legs locking around Hunk’s waist, and Hunk’s thick fingers hanging tight to Lance’s arms.

When the water settled again, they both swam to the surface, throwing their heads back as they gulped down air. In the distance, Hunk spotted Coran’s flailing form, probably having freaked out when Hunk and Lance had disappeared. Hunk could just make out Allura patting him on the leg from where she still sat as he tried to blink away the sweet-tasting salt of this ocean. 

Lance waved his hands over his head, yelling to Coran that they were all right. Coran seemed displeased, but placated. Hunk snickered.

“Reminds me of that time we swam too far out and scared our moms,” Hunk mentioned. “Remember?”

They had run headlong into a wave, and terrified their mothers when they’d dunked under. At the time, it hadn’t been much of deal to either of them. Looking back, though, Hunk could understand. He looked over his shoulder at the shoreline again, trying to will two figures to appear where Coran was standing. The harder he squinted, the more the mental image refused to come up.

Lance groaned. “Holy crow, do I?! My mom lectured me right into my next birthday. Sometimes she still mentions it when she lectures Nikki and Anita when we go swimming. ”

Hunk laughed, laying on his back to float. Beside him, Lance did the same.

“Imagine what she would say if you told her you saw mermaids? She always told you to be careful of mermaids!” Hunk scandalously whispered.

“And she better not find out when we get home!” Lance shot back.

He slapped water at Hunk, who only laughed harder. They bumped shoulders, looking up at the foreign constellations popping up across the sky. Hunk pulled his lower lip in between his teeth.

The water at his back was suddenly too cold. Hunk became too aware of the vastness: the unending depths, the unknowing of where this ocean stretched, what other lands and beaches it touched. He could feel Lance’s elbow brushing his own, only just barely grounding Hunk back. But more than anything, Hunk suddenly felt alone.

He didn’t know the constellations in the sky, having memorized them when he and Lance were putting up stars in their rooms as children, trying to recreate constellations as best as they could with inexperienced hands. He didn’t know these waters, couldn’t name the fish that swam past their legs. Hunk couldn’t expect to feel his Mom’s work-calloused hands tugging at his toes as she popped her head up and playfully spit water at him (a habit Lance had picked up from her). He couldn’t expect for his Mama to wade out on her board, singing old songs under her breath. Hunk couldn’t expect to lay under the big beach umbrellas, the warm bodies of his dogs pressed up under his arms and legs as he dozed. His favorite (though Hunk would never tell a soul) Pippa would find her way to make her bed on his belly, head tilted to watch Hunk’s face as she always did when she napped with him.

The cold of the ocean settled inside of Hunk, whooshing through his veins from his arms and legs, and sloshing down heavily into his belly like a sick feeling. It stubbornly clung to him like a sticky substance.

Lance reached across to rest the back of his knuckles to Hunk’s belly.

“Hey, buddy, Hunk,” Lance started. “You okay?”

Hunk paused.

“This place, it’s great, you know? Like, the beach, the ocean, Keith moping because he hates sand. I always figured that’s what being at the beach would be like when we get home,” Hunk rambled. “But—It’s kinda—it—it’s...” Hunk trailed off before groaning in frustration.

“Not right?” Lance added, murmuring.

Hunk blew air out, deflating slightly. “Yeah, it’s not right. I just—it makes me really miss home.”

“I know I said there may not be a chance we would go home back when were on Arus,” Hunk continued, “but, it didn’t really dawn on me until now how true that might be, you know?”

Hunk lifted his arm, peered up,  and framed a splattering of stars with the curve of his hand where his index and thumb joined together. Lance turned his head to look at him, patient.

“I’ve never been to a beach without my moms before,” Hunk admitted. His throat felt dry and scratchy. He wished he knew what to do with his hands to relieve some of the anxiety. “I mean, except that time we skipped school in the 6th grade and sent your pet fish Alfredo out on like a Viking funeral.”

“Oh man, I remember that. Neither of us could light the stupid matches, so we just shoved him off,” Lance joked, voice a little weak.

“Yeah! And usually, if we’re out here too long, Mama would have dove out here all quiet before spooking the heck out of us, remember?”

Lance grinned. “I still can’t believe she bought that fake shark fin just to mess with us. She would always grab our toes under the water.”

“And Mom!” Hunk added in, getting excited. “She taught me how to surf. I miss surfing.”

Lance knocked Hunk’s belly with his knuckles again, vibrating with energy. “Oh man, Hunk, do you remember that time your Moms took both of us out on their surfboards when we were still learning?”

“Oh, oh, oh,” Hunk piped, a little breathless, “you don’t mean—” 

“Yeah! Exactly that!”

“When the we saw that whale shark!” They both exclaimed.

“It was huge,” Lance described. “I mean, it’s a whale shark, but it was still incredible.”

“It brushed my leg, remember?” Hunk added.

“I do! I remember telling my mom when I got home about it. I was so excited to tell her because she had told me all the times when she was at her old village before she moved to Florida about how she’d see whale sharks in the harbor feeding on plankton,” Lance said.

“I miss our oceans,” Hunk told him. “It’s weird that this one doesn’t smell like salt-salt, more like honey-salt? Does that make sense? It’s weird.”

“Most of our fish only have one head, too,” Lance joked.

The moment was followed by matching sighs. They floated, moving their arms out of habit, watching the ripples of the constellations on the water passing over their skin.

Something brushed Hunk’s leg. He squeaked, instantly grabbing Lance’s wrist. He pointed down by his foot as it brushed against the underside of Hunk’s knees. He scrambled over Lance, trying to get away from whatever was touching him. Lance stuck his head under the water. When he came back up, Lance was grinning wildly. He opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off as a rush of light shuttered on from below.

A large mass appeared underneath them, zigzagging bioluminescence flickering on almost like the strange constellations overhead. A sound like a guttural groan rose up out of the ocean as the creature turned on its side, sliding through the water. A large black eye stared back, with what might have been spots but were actually much smaller eyes, blinking back. The large whiskers on its face quivered. It descended, its large body slowly twisting before circling them again, curiously.

It might have resembled a whale in its most basic form, but far larger than any whale could hope to be back on Earth. It disrupted the reflection of the sky on the water with a flick of its tail, sending a small wave rolling over Lance and Hunk.

“Hey, I think you made a friend, Hunk,” Lance noted, laughing and flipped over on his stomach.

“Are you sure it’s not gonna eat us?” Hunk asked worriedly. He pushed his bangs out from his face.

“I mean, if it hasn’t already, I doubt it will. Hey look, it’s coming back. Do you think it’ll let us hang on to it for a ride?” Lance piped excitedly.

“On a scale of bad ideas, that’s like a solid 7,” Hunk declared. “Buuuut, it doesn’t look like it’s gonna turn around and eat us right now—”

“Soooo?” Lance prompted.

“Sooooo, if we get eaten, I’m telling Coran and Shiro it was your idea,” Was all Hunk said, before they dunked their heads under, watching the creature beginning to breach not too far from them. They reached out, taking a gentle hold of the double jagged dorsal fin jutting just a little past its head. Looking over at each other, they took a big breath and dunked under. The creature called to them, gradually descending down, weaving in slow circles. Lance and Hunk laid their arms across each other’s shoulders and buckled down.

Hunk laid his free hand on the creature’s back, thinking of the time his mothers had taken him diving. Thinking of the dolphins that had come playfully to greet them, the way their skin had felt like this, smooth and rubbery. Hunk thought of his Mama and his Mom embarrassing him as a young child, kissing as they floated in the water. Grabbing onto him when his arms had gotten strong enough to be intimidating, tempered by gentle hands, and laughing when all they had to do was hang onto him as he dragged the three of them from the water with ease. Now, though, Hunk wished he could feel his mothers embracing him, trapped lovingly between their arms, and listening to his Mom tell his Mama the mom equivalent of a dad joke.

Hunk squeezed against Lance, tighter as the almost-whale ascended to the surface again, moving its body to gently dislodge them by the force of a small wave. They tumbled, sliding towards shore until they could stand in the water again. They made their way to the beach.

Coran called to them, telling them he was relieved to see them in one piece.

Lance stopped Hunk with a tug to the back of his swim trunks, like he’d always done when they were children.

“Hey, Hunk,” Lance started, “when we finish saving the universe, we should bring our families to this planet. I think your moms would love to see this place.”

He rested his elbow on Hunk’s shoulder, grinning good-naturedly. Hunk slung his arm around Lance’s shoulder, pulling Lance against his side.

“Yeah, they’d get a real kick out of Spot over there,” Hunk said.

“Spot? Dude, you’re almost as bad as Pidge,” Lance joked. “Come on, let’s go show Coran what a real barbeque is like.”

Lance let his other arm come up around Hunk’s back, trying to pivot his weight to shift Hunk around, barely budging him. Laughing, Hunk lifted Lance and turned back towards their friends, shooing Coran away from the make-shift pit they’d set up earlier.

The water inside of Hunk felt like it was receding, a warmth blooming outwards that made an unbidden smile rise on his face. Lance bumped shoulders with him, setting the skewers on the make-shift grill. Hunk figured he would be okay for now.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I CAN FINALLY POST THIS HOLY HECKERONI. HEY THIS IS ONE OF TWO FICS I HAD IN APHELION ZINE. HEY HEY


End file.
